VIDEO: Calgary driver yells FHRITP slur – in a company vehicle
Posted Apr 4, 2016 2:38 pm.
Last Updated Apr 5, 2016 6:52 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Calgary man has been fired after making an offensive slur to a CityNews cameraman while in a company vehicle.
The incident happened last week in the southwest community of Kingsland when Darren Wright was getting some b-roll footage for a story about speeders and a white truck drove into his frame.
“A gentleman drove his vehicle into the shot, opened up his door and yelled some very inappropriate language,” Wright said.
The driver appeared to yell out “**** her right in the *****,” a phrase that has been often been said to news reporters during live hits.
The incident also happened in a school zone.
“I was surprised,” Wright said. “I thought that all the attention of this had kind of died down now and that people understood that it was not a phrase that should be uttered in public.”
After being informed of the video, the company involved immediately fired the employee and 660 NEWS has decided not to name either party.
The video has also been edited so that the company’s name isn’t readable.
While the man behind the wheel decided not to do a formal interview, he did express extreme remorse to the company and Wright, adding hopefully he can serve as an example for others not to make the same mistake.
It isn’t the first time Calgary journalists have been involved with the trend.
In May of last year, a man was charged with stunting after yelling the phrase during a CBC interview and there was an infamous incident during a live Global newscast last April to name two incidents.
CPS Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey with the Traffic Unit said after viewing the video that stunting would be the likely charge in this case.
“It doesn’t fit the threshold of a criminal charge,” he said. “My original reaction was shock and disgust and I would characterize it as extremely juvenile.”
Stunting carries a $543 fine and demerits.
No charges will be filed.
“People need to take this seriously and they should be careful and not be uttering this,” Wright added. “It could’ve collided with another vehicle, it could’ve injured somebody, this is close to a school, this is something that people should not do.”
